15 Whimsical, Recession-Proof Holiday Gift Ideas

Some simple, fun ideas for gifts this year – some reminding us that simplicity is often the best guide.

For the second holiday season in a row, Americans are short on jobs and treasure. Yet many of this month’s magazine gift guides and advertisements are still begging us to buy a preposterous array of prezzies and “stocking stuffers:” a $400 dollar pair of boots here, a $2,000 designer handbag there, a box of artisanal chocolates that cost as much as the GDP of Ghana. How 2007 can you get? I personally have more than two dozen people on my gift list this year: even in the best of times, it wasn’t exactly an option to shell out this kind of dough on material holiday cheer. Hopefully the recession has immunized us to blowsy marketing, and made us smarter and more thoughtful about the way that we express our holiday appreciation for our loved ones. Last year, we ran a recession-friendly list of holiday gift suggestions. Without further ado, we present the 2009 edition. As usual, it is long on whimsy and easy on the pocketbook. Happy holidays, and we look forward to your further suggestions in the comments section. – From Huffington Post